Tablets to overtake laptops in 2013

Sad Mac iPad
Share This article
7
inShare
Before the iPad was announced in January of 2010, the world didn’t care about tablet computers. Sure, they existed, and Microsoft famously promoted the idea back as early as 2000, but the market for tablets just didn’t exist before the April 2010 release of the original iPad. Since then, tablets have become a huge part of the computer industry, and NPD is predicting 2013 will see the first time that worldwide sales of tablets will surpass sales of laptops. This year, NPD expects 240 million tablets to ship, but only 207 million laptops. In just three years, tablets have become a fundamental pillar of many businesses— most obviously Apple’s.
North America and China, the top two tablet markets, already saw tablets surpass laptop shipments last year. With the increase in the demand for tablets and the decrease in demand for laptops, the rest of the world will catch up to the trend. NPD’s DisplaySearch predicts that tablets will see a 64% year-over-year increase in shipment in 2013 — pushing tablets above laptops. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. By 2017, laptops are on track to shrink to just 27% of the mobile PC market.
Tablet and Laptop Sales Projections [Image credit: NPD]
The most surprising news isn’t the takeover of tablets, though; it’s the shift in tablet sizes. In 2013, 7- and 8-inch tablets are expected to ship 108 million units. That’s a whopping 45% of the market. Meanwhile, the 9.7-inch screen size of the traditional iPad is set to shrink to only 17% of the market. Undoubtedly, the huge surge in the 7.9-inch devices is thanks to last year’s launch of the iPad Mini. While Apple is still facing stiff competition in the coming years, it will continue to do well in the market thanks to its brand awareness and high-quality ecosystem.
As countries like China and India continue to modernize while growing their middle class, the demand for tablets will continue to grow at an amazing rate. If the past three years have proven anything, it’s that tablets are here to stay. Just like the explosion of smartphones before it, the cost-to-utility ratio of tablets is clearly a winning formula for PC companies and consumers alike. Meanwhile, desktops and laptops are continuing their fall to niche status. When the vast majority of everyday tasks are handled on cheap, sleek, and portable devices, the need for a traditional computer peters out for most people. If these numbers hold true, we can expect a number of players in the traditional PC market to jump ship, and switch to making tablet and smartphones exclusively in the coming years.
Now read: Microsoft’s share of the consumer market has dropped from 95% to 20% in 8 years